How to Have a Bad Day

"Pregnant Woman Hit by Car While Fleeing From Bear"

Now that's what I call a bad day. I read that yesterday on Fox News, and thought about it again as I was sitting a mile or so down the Gully Creek Trail with my now swollen, sprained ankle soaking in the icy water. I was in a pretty bad fix, alright: 800 vertical feet below the crest and my parked car, but things could be worse. It could have happened somewhere on the trail before I got to the creek. I could have been alone. I might not have had my cell phone with me to call in the calvary or the helicopter (We did neither.) Actually it was the cell phone that led to this unfortunate step. My friend, Michelle, poked me in a comment about launching their boating season on White Lake - already! without me! I know how much she loves this particular trail and misses the mountains, so I just had to pay her back. I stopped, took a picture of the creek, fumbled with the intricacies of sending a picture message with text from the phone, flipped it shut, and took one step . . . . into a deep, hidden hole. Crack! Pop! went the ankle. "#@*!" went the mouth. BWAA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA went my phone. It was Michelle calling, so I could repent right away while the icy creek numbed the hurtin' ankle.

Meanwhile, Pat has been hovering on the sidelines, fretting over me. Finally, she proclaims, I think we just need to pray! So we did (what would YOU do?!?!) And bless God, He intervened!! After about 20 minutes chilling in the creek, my foot was numb, and I could actually stand on it. Not only did I stand on it, I walked all they way back up the mountain by myself with relatively little pain. This is nothing short of miraculous since the last two times that I have sprained an ankle, I was on crutches for 6 weeks and could not even put my foot on the floor! It took several more months of physical therapy, some cortisone, and all together about 2 years to fully heal. But I digress. So, I am, yet again, slowed to a crawl, and trying to be content that I am in the place that God wants me for now. Because there just might be a bear waiting for me on the other end of the trail! But it sure is difficult when I wanted to be there for Julie today to take pictures of Michael's big Monster Truck birthday party ( you absolutely will be flabbergasted when you see the cake she made!) and I wanted to run the whole way down main street and up to the high school taking pictures of Emily going to the prom in the horse and carriage, and tomorrow is The big Special Olympics track and field meet in Radford. I'm just going to hobble off into the sunset for now.

The photo that started all my trouble:

(It's not even a decent shot.)

See those leaves, bottom left??? See that hole under the leaves?
I didn't either.